Bridge apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a bridge apparatus for connecting two drywall carts together spaced with a front rear relation to one another for supporting materials on the bridge, said bridge apparatus having two identical bridge sections with the bridge sections detachably fixed connection to one another at their one ends and pivotally connected at their outer ends to the drywall carts wherein said drywall carts each have plurality of wheels mounted to the carts in a manner that the carts and bridge apparatus roll on their wheels in a variety of different directions as a single unit.

This invention relates to cargo carriers, more particularly this invention relates to transporting material such as drywall panels and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel attachment for attaching two drywall carts together so that they can be used as a unitary structure for transporting extra large or bulk-like materials. It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel transporting device having a bridge apparatus for connecting two drywall carts together in space relation with the bridge apparatus bridging the space between the two carts to provide a single apparatus.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bridge apparatus invention with the bridge members connected together to one another and attached at their outer ends to the pair of drywall carts.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the invention showing the bridge apparatus and cart members attached to one another in a manner similar to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the locking apparatus for locking the bridge members to the drywall carts.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the locking apparatus taken along line 4-4 of figure three.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view which illustrates the bridge members having been lowered to their horizontal locked position.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view which illustrated the bridge members apart from one lowered to their horizontal locked position.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the bridge apparatus with the frame connected together.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the bridge members being attached to one of the drywall carts.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the bridge members separated from one another in a raised angular position about to be attached.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged top view of the bridge members with the bridge members attached and locked in their lower horizontal position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring more particularly to the drawings the bridge apparatus 20 is illustrated. The bridge 20 is comprises two identical rectangular connecting bridge members 21 and 22. The two bridge members 21 and 22, are locked together at their inner adjacent ends 23 and 23′ respectively, in fixed relation to one another when operatively installed. The bridge members, 21 and 22 at their outer ends 24 and 24′ are used to connect two drywall carts 25 and 26. One of the bridge members 21 at its outer ends has a pair of J hooks 27 and 28, which are fixed to the outer ends 21′ of the frame 21 and a similar pair of hooks 27′ and 28′ fixed to the outer ends 22′ its frame 22.

The bridge member frames 21 and 22 at each outer ends 21′ and 22′ also have four L shaped locking members 29, 29′, 29″, 29′″ which are pivotally mounted about horizontal axes 30 to the outer ends 21′ and 22′ beneath the hooks of the bridge members to pivot from a horizontal unlocked position to a vertical locked position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The locking members 29-29′″, which are pivotally mounting about the horizontal axis 30 to the frames of the bridge members, each have a main vertical plate portion 31 and a lateral outer flange portion 32 fixed to the vertical plate portion 31. The drywall carts 25 and 26 each have a pair of links or loops 33, 33′, and 34, 34′, respectively, which are fixed to the lateral frames 25′ and 26′ of the drywall carts 25 and 26 and project outward from the frames of the carts. The hooks 27 and 28 and 27′ and 28′ on the bridge members 21 and 22, respectively will be attached to the links or loops 33, 33′ and 34, 34′, respectively, of the drywall carts 25 and 26.

When assembling the bridge apparatus together and after the hooks have been attached to the links or loops of the carts then the locking members 29-29′″ can be pivoted about their horizontal axis upward to a locked position as shown in FIG. 4, in which position the main plate is upright in length and in width. When in this upright lateral position, the outer lateral flange 32 of each locking member 29-29′″ will engage horizontally beneath the outer edge of each hook to block and lock the link in the hook. This action connects the bridge members to its links 33, 33′ and 34, 34′ on the drywall carts, to prevent its detachment of the hooks from the links. The link connection of the bridge members to the drywall carts enables the drywall carts to pivot relative to the bridge member.

Both bridge members 21 and 22 are identical. The one bridge member 21 at its one end 23 is provided with an eyelet 35 on one side of said one end and a pin 36 at its one end at the other side of the bridge. Similarly, the other bridge member 22 at its one end 23′ is provided with an eyelet 35′ on one side of the one end; and a pin 36′ at its one end on the other side of the bridge 22.

When attaching the one ends of the bridge members to one another, the bridge members will be raised up at their one ends to an angular position as shown in FIG. 5. The pair of pins, 36 and 36′, will be received in the eyelets 35 and 35′ while in their raised angular position. After the pins have been positioned in the eyelets, the bridge members may be lowered to a horizontal position with the pins remaining in the eyelets until the bridge members reach a horizontal relation to one another as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. A pair of flanges 37 and 37′ are fixed to the bridge members 21 and 22, respectively. After the pins 36 and 36′ have been engaged into the eyelets, 35 and 35′ as the bridge members 21 and 22 are lowered to horizontal, the flanges 37 and 37′ will engage the walls 38 and 38′ of the bridge members 21 and 22. This prevents disengagement of the bridge members 21 and 22 from one another laterally of their length as they approach horizontal. When the two bridge members reach horizontal as shown in FIG. 6, they will be locked together in fixed relation to one another against axial movement as well as any further movement below horizontal.

Operation:

When operating the apparatus the four locking members 29-29′″ will be in their locked straight-line position relative to one another. The locking members 29-29′″ prevent the bridge members 21 and 22 from accidentally becoming unlocked or disengaged from the links of the drywall carts 25 and 26. It is desirable that the bridge members can pivot relative to the drywall carts.

When the bridge apparatus 20, when operatively positioned, the bridge is connected to the two drywall carts 25 and 26 as a single apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1.

When used as a single apparatus it provides a means for carrying larger objects, such as a stack of drywall panels, lumber, tubing, etc. A stack of drywall panels is illustrated in phantom lines and designated by number 40. The bridge members 21 and 22 at their inner ends have raised members 42 and 43. The upper surface of the beams 25′ and 26′ on the drywall carts 25 and 26, and the upper surfaces of the raised members of the bridge apparatus 42 and 43 are horizontal with one another so that portions of the bottom of the stack of drywall panels 40 will be lying horizontal on the upper surfaces of the beams 25′ and 26′ and ridges 2 the apparatus as it is moved from place to place. Thus the drywall panels 40 are laid horizontally on the bridge apparatus 20 with their remote ends 41 and 41′ resting on the horizontal beams 25′ and 26′ of the carts with the middle of the stack of drywall panels 40 resting on the raised members 42 and 43 of the bridge apparatus 20.

The space 45 and 45′ between the bridge members 21 and 22 and the stacked drywall panels 40 is to allow access for loading with the forklifts forks to be introduced beneath the stack of drywall panels 40.

The drywall carts 25 and 26 each have four wheels 44 which are swivel mounted on the drywall carts 25 and 26 to provide mobility and are already described in previous U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,966. In the past the drywall carts 25 and 26 have been used individually rather than in tandem. The bridge apparatus 20 provides an entirely new and different operation which was previously unavailable to the drywall carts themselves. The bridge apparatus 20 at their outer end connections allow the drywall carts 25 and 26 to articulate slightly and independently from one another to accommodate minor irregularities in the floor surface.

Thus it will be seen that a novel drywall carrier has been provided for transporting large quantities of drywall panels and other materials easily by utilizing two smaller drywall carriers and connecting a bridge between them. Further, the bridge apparatus can be easily and quickly disassembled thus enabling the two drywall carriers to be used independently when transporting objects of lesser quantity, or in other words, when transporting, by comparison, relatively few drywall panels.

It will be obvious that various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof; and accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings but only as set forth in the appended claims wherein: 

1. A bridge apparatus for connecting two drywall carts together spaced with a front rear relation to one another for supporting materials on the bridge, said bridge apparatus having two identical and interchangable bridge sections with the bridge sections in detachably fixed connection to one another at their one ends and pivotally connected at the others ends to the drywall carts wherein said drywall carts each have pair of wheels mounted to the carts in a manner that the carts and bridge apparatus may roll on their wheels in a variety of different directions as a single unit.
 2. A bridge apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the detachable connection of the bridge member to one another is provided by a pair of pins on one of the bridge members and a pair of eyelets on the other bridge member and the pins may be inserted into the eyelets when the bridge member have been raised to an angular position adjacent to one another, one of the bridge members has a flange which engages the other bridge member as the bridge members are lowered on their pivotal connection to a horizontal position with the flange locking them in fixed relation when locking them horizontal, said bridge members have abutting inner edges when horizontal to prevent their pivoting to an angular position below horizontal.
 3. A horizontal bridge apparatus for connecting two upstanding drywall carts together for supporting materials on the bridge, said bridge having several bridge sections detachably connected together in a manner that the sections may move upward from horizontal relation but are fixed from moving downward relative to one another, said drywall carts each having at least one wheel so that when connected together by the bridge sections they become a single mobile unit where by the carts and bridge apparatus may be rolled on a horizontal surface in various directions.
 4. A bridge apparatus for connecting two drywall carts together wherein each drywall cart has a pair of upstanding posts to serve as front and rear posts for the apparatus, said bridge apparatus comprising an elongated bridge frame means, said frame means having front and rear attachment means at its front and rear ends with one of said drywall carts front posts attached to the front attachment means of the bridge attachment means, said other drywall cart having rear posts with said rear posts attached to the rear attachment means of the bridge frame means.
 5. A bridge apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said bridge frame means is formed in two sections detachable connected to one another whereby the bridge frame means may be separated for easy storage.
 6. A bridge apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said bridge frame means is formed in two identical sections detachable connected to one another with said connection whereby each of the sections has a pin and an eyelet to provide a means of attaching whereby the sections will initially be elevated at a angle to one another for insertion of the pins into the eyelets with said sections having flange means engaging one another when the sections are lowered after insertion with the flange means engaging one another to provide a locked rigid relation of the two sections when lowered into horizontal relation to one another.
 7. An elongated rectangular frame formed of two elongated sections joined together at their inner ends in a manner that they may be attached together while positioned at an angle in length to one another, said sections may be pivoted downward and have butting edges which abut one another when the two sections have pivoted to a horizontal straight-line position relative to one another, with the abutting edges preventing the sections from traveling below their straight-line horizontal position relative to one another, said sections having means at their outer ends to detachably engage a pair of drywall carts for use with the drywall carts as a unitary structure. 